Boat Safety -- The Life It Saves May Be Your Own Brevard Deputy Haunted By River Tragedy Offers A Simple Checklist For Staying Out Of Hot Water

May 11, 1986|By Lynne Bumpus-Hooper of The Sentinel Staff

TITUSVILLE — Brevard County Deputy Frank Flake wants you to run down a simple safety checklist before you turn the key in the ignition of your boat this summer.

The reasons are simple: He cares about your safety and he still is haunted by what happened when one group of Sunday boaters didn't take the time to check.

It was a typical summer afternoon, hot and steamy. The woman, her 4-year- old son, her boyfriend and another man took a small motor-driven boat similar to a canoe or johnboat onto the Indian River.

The boat carried four people and one life jacket.

When a thunderstorm blew up in the late afternoon, the boat capsized. One man swam to shore and summoned help.

About an hour later, the second man, wearing the life jacket, reached shore.

A search was under way, but lightning danced across the river and the waves were rough.

Just after dark, Flake and another deputy found the storm-tossed craft. The youngster, perched on the sinking vessel, threw himself into their arms.

''My mommy's dead, my mommy's dead'' was all the child said as he clung to them.

''It didn't have to happen,'' Flake said.

Flake, a member of the sheriff department's agricultural-marine unit, said running through a simple checklist before a boating trip could save your life. Before embarking on even a short excursion, he said, all boaters should check:

Flotation devices -- Whether vest- or cushion-style, they should be accessible, not neatly stored so they will stay clean. There should be one life jacket for each person on board -- and for skiers who may not start the trip in the boat. Check the vest's tag to see if it meets state regulations.

Fire extinguishers -- Any boat more than 26 feet long should have at least one. Owners of smaller boats should check with the U.S. Coast Guard or the Florida Marine Patrol to see what is needed.

Backfire flame extinguisher -- Boats built in recent years are equipped with this device to absorb heat or flames from a backfire and prevent the boat from burning. Flake said the flame extinguisher looks like a stack of metal plates. Many people don't know what the device is and take it off the boat.

Weather -- Listen to weather reports the night before for small-craft or thunderstorm warnings and plan accordingly. Don't try to outrun a summer storm that takes you by surprise. Don't scoot across the lake, hug the bank and take the long but safe way back to port.

The boat, motor, running lights and horn also should be checked, especially now when many people are taking out boats which haven't been used all winter, Flake said.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Marine Patrol concentrate on enforcing marine laws; deputies concentrate on safety standards, he said.

''A lot of our problems are related to drinking. It's hot out in the sun and a vicious cycle gets started. The more people drink to cool off, the hotter they get, so the more they drink. Their reaction time and judgment gets slowed down. The main thing to remember is to be conservative,'' Flake said.